On April 10, 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources issued an important announcement: with the approval of the State Council, high-purity quartz ore has officially become a new mineral in China, numbered as No. 174. This decision marks a crucial progress in China's new round of breakthrough strategic actions in mineral exploration, and is of milestone significance for ensuring the security of high-tech industrial chains and supply chains.

The scarcity of super "silicon" resources is highlighted

High purity quartz ore is mainly composed of silicon dioxide and has characteristics such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion, high insulation, and transparency. It is a core raw material for high-tech industries such as semiconductors and photovoltaics. According to Mao Jingwen, an academician of the CAE Member, under the current technical and economic conditions, the purity of silica above 99.995% can be called high purity quartz ore.

However, high-purity quartz ore is extremely rare in nature and highly concentrated globally. The Spruce Pine mine in North Carolina, USA, has long accounted for over 90% of the global supply of semiconductor grade high-purity quartz sand, while China has long relied on imports and is considered a "bottleneck" mineral resource.

High quality mineral deposits have been discovered in Henan, Xinjiang, and other regions

In a new round of strategic breakthroughs in mineral exploration, China has discovered multiple high-purity quartz mines in areas such as the eastern Qinling Mountains in Henan and Altay in Xinjiang, with similar quality to deposits in the United States. The Ministry of Natural Resources revealed that relevant departments have successfully prepared 99.995% of 4N5 grade or above pilot products through technological breakthroughs, and some samples have even reached a purity of 99.998% of 4N8 grade, laying the foundation for industrial application.

Activate industrial potential and ensure supply chain security

High purity quartz ore is listed as the 174th mineral, which is of great significance for promoting the development of China's high-tech industry.

Technological breakthroughs and industrialization: The establishment of new mineral types will accelerate exploration and mining technology breakthroughs, promote the large-scale production of high-purity quartz sand above 4N5 level, and alleviate China's dependence on imports.

Industrial chain guarantee: The semiconductor, photovoltaic and other industries have a strong demand for high-purity quartz sand, and the establishment of new mineral types helps to stabilize the supply chain and reduce the risk of "bottlenecks".

Market vitality release: Referring to the establishment experience of shale gas (No. 172 mineral) and natural gas hydrate (No. 173 mineral), the new mineral will attract social capital investment, stimulate the establishment of mining rights and exploration and development vitality.

Breaking the monopoly and reshaping the resource landscape

The inclusion of high-purity quartz ore is not only a breakthrough in mineral exploration, but also a major measure for China to ensure the security of strategic mineral resources. In the future, with the deepening of exploration and development, this super "silicon" resource will inject new momentum into China's high-tech industry and help promote high-quality economic development.(This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website strategy column editor/Miao Ting